We Will Rock You

My attendance at BMOS's annual musical at one of the most prestigious venues in the UK has become a regular event in my diary as Regional Councillor for NODA West Midlands, and one that I always look forward to.

I was delighted to be joined by our National President, Kay Rowan, and, of course, to speak with Maria Raymond in her dual role as both Chair of the Society and Production Manager. Our host for the evening was Deputy Chair and Audience Relations Manager, James Donnan, who looked after us extremely well.

Sadly, my colleague and Regional Representative, Joyce Eyre, was unable to attend on this occasion due to unforeseen circumstances.

We Will Rock You, the jukebox musical based on the songs of Queen, enjoyed a long and successful run in the West End after opening in May 2002 and remains among the longest-running musicals in West End history. Despite closing in 2014 (aside from a subsequent limited run and national tour), it has since become available for amateur production. It is little wonder that this show has proved such a popular choice for societies across the UK this year.

From the outset, the technical aspects of this production were stunning. We were immediately transported from 2026 to 2326 and into a completely different world, yet one which, in many ways, could become a reality for us. Breaking News announcements appeared before our eyes, showing and telling of curfews. Music as we know it has been banned or controlled by Globalsoft, and no instruments are believed to have survived, partially blamed on the X Factor.

Generally, when one talks about the plot in We Will Rock You, one has to ask, “What plot?” However, this production more than made up for what it lacks in storyline, not least through the music of Queen and the rediscovery of rock music.

The quality of the upstage projections was truly outstanding, with a superb 3D effect, particularly for Killer Queen. The stage was raised upstage in front of the imaging, behind which the musicians were hidden from view for much of the performance. The stage itself was divided into squares, enabling highly effective lighting effects, with drop spotlights highlighting both principal performers and ensemble numbers, such as during “Radio Ga Ga”.

I could report on the lighting for pages, as the quality and visual impact just kept coming. The ensemble lit by their iPads was wonderful and visually remarkable, as was the lighting during numbers such as “I Want to Break Free” and “Flash”. The creation of the iconic Freddie Mercury statue using tea lights looked amazing from the Dress Circle.

Speaking of being spot on, we come to the cast. Every member of the principal line-up delivered exactly what one could have wished for. The characters were well developed, performances were convincing, and there was a strong sense of commitment throughout.

Dan Smith gave a confident performance as Galileo (Figaro)providing a believable and rebellious character. He played the role well alongside Scaramouche as he continually made use of well-known song lyrics in his dialogue, such as “I’ll tell you want I want, what you really really want”.

Scaramouche played by Charlotte Jervis absolutely stood out giving a powerful and commanding performance with great timing on her one liners such as realisation her name sounded like Scary Bush. “Somebody to Love”, along with the Teen Queens, received thunderous applause, and rightly so.

Galileo and Scaramouche come across well together whether the more tender moments or not quite so following their disagreement.

Fiona Farnsworth as the Killer Queen looked and sounded good such as during Another One Bites the Dust and had a presence you may not want to cross.

Khashoggi played by Robbie Love was suitable intimidating and sinister throughout, most certainly the baddie when torturing the Bohemians and Flash until he also comes a cropper at the hands of the Killer Queen.

Brit and Oz played by Gavin Whichello and Heaven Okah were also well cast and amazing together. Both had energy and wonderful vocals. I truly enjoyed I Want It All – this was a definite highlight of the evening. Gavin’s high kicks were super,

There were numerous smaller roles played by members of the ensemble, but I must make a brief mention of Madonna, played to the utmost by Tim Jones, whose costume (or at least part of it) certainly stood out.

There were good performances from Mike James as Buddy with the mysterious VHF tape (yes, I’m old enough to know what it was) and Jo Smith as Teacher.

Costumes and wigs for the entire cast were entirely in keeping with the futuristic setting and were consistent throughout the production.

The choreography was effective, well-rehearsed, and tight. The entire cast knew exactly what they were doing and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves throughout the performance, delivering both energy and pace. I have previously mentioned Radio GaGa for technical skills however the togetherness and almost robotic style sound out to me

The audience were lively and fully engaged with the music, responding enthusiastically whenever invited to do so. I was particularly pleased that I heard no one singing along, which can often be an issue with jukebox musicals.

The seven-piece band provided strong musical support throughout the evening. However, I did find them rather loud on occasions, and, at times, they overpowered what was taking place on stage. This was unfortunate, particularly when members of the ensemble could not always be heard clearly.

That aside, the audience responded extremely well whenever participation was called for and clearly enjoyed the experience. We were most certainly rocked by the performance and, of course, all loved the finale of “Bohemian Rhapsody” – no mean feat to achieve. Was this show just a fantasy? No, it was not; it was wonderful to witness.

I had already heard about next year's production, but it is always worth checking the programme for confirmation and performance dates so that it can be entered into the diary well in advance. As another one bites the dust for BMOS, I am sure they are already looking forward to the family-friendly Shrek The Musical in June 2027.

Thank you to BMOS for the kind invitation, and congratulations to everyone involved in delivering such an enjoyable and visually impressive production.

Congratulations to you all.

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